HORSE

Horse made many top book lists for 2022, including President Obama's. Therefore, even though I had never read Geraldine Brooks before, I felt compelled to read it.

The book is seemingly about horse racing, but the deeper subject is race. Brooks tells the story of multiple characters who live during a span of 180 years. This narrative arc gives the reader a much better sense of American history - about how far we have come but also how far we still have to go.

I will not spoil the ending, but I will say that this is a complicated book that will make you think about these characters and about which characters' stories normally get told and how. While I found the book quite deep, this book - and prior books by Brooks - have been criticized for cultural appropriation. If you are not familiar with this term, according to Britannica, this occurs "when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way." I was dumfounded that one might categorize this book in that way because two of the principal characters - who are depicted more favorably than any other character - are Black. 

Fiction is empowering because it causes the reader to expand his/her horizons. I do not think an author can or should only write about his/her life. In fact what makes fiction so compelling is the ability of the author to tell other people's stories from their perspectives. Isn't that something we all wish to experience when we read a book? If Black people are the only ones qualified to write about Black characters and if those are the only characters they can write about, then that would be to the great detriment of a much larger world and audience.

I encourage you to read Horse and decide for yourself about its merits. I promise it will help you understand our history better, and you will also learn more about horses than you may have ever wanted to! 

TAR

Last weekend, we went to see the movie Tar with Cate Blanchett. The movie is about the fall from grace of a famous female conductor named Lydia Tar. Cate Blanchett did an amazing job portraying this type-A, hard-charging, overachiever, which probably does not come as much surprise!

I will not spoil the ending by providing a plot synopsis, but what I found most captivating about the film was just how tortured the main character was and how much of a toll getting to the top of her profession and trying to stay there took on her life. I found myself empathizing with the character because I, too, often feel as though it is very challenging to juggle all the balls I have in the air.

In medicine, there used to be the concept of the "triple threat" physician-scientist -someone who was a great doctor, researcher, and teacher. That mission seems quite achievable by today's standards, which are much more challenging. Now, one is expected to be a sextuple threat - with excellence in all of those aforementioned areas in addition to administration, parenthood, and marriage.

Just like in the movie, something has to give, and we cannot excel in all those areas at once. Alternatively, one can get off the treadmill and just focus on the things that are doable with the time one has and that bring joy to one's life. I was reminded of this lesson by Tar and will try to use those guiding principles to live a better life moving forward. May life not imitate art, in this instance.

A GREAT RUN

The Greenhills Boys' Soccer team competed in the Finals of the State Championship last weekend. We lost 1-0 to Western Michigan Christian, but the real winners were all the parents who had the pleasure of watching their kids play this past season and the Grenhills boys who made a terrific playoff run.

This was Nicholas' last season with the team since he graduates next year, and he played an important role all season. He played multiple positions, including midfielder, winger, and most recently right back. He started nearly every game and made solid contributions to the Greenhills' team that made its deepest playoff run since 2019 when they lost in the State Championship game.

What I will miss most is not the quality of the soccer. Rather, I will miss watching Nicholas give his all for a collective effort to achieve something bigger than himself. Each year - and especially this year - Nicholas' team showed that spirit. Regardless of whether he was on the bench or playing 90 minutes, Nicholas always brought his best self and tried to lift the team as a cheerleader on the side or with his play on the field. 

Watching the boys play also provided a respite from the toxicity of the world. There are so few areas of life where the participants agree upon the rules in advance and accept defeat with grace and humility. Most sports - whether they be professional or amateur - are still that way, which is a refreshing antidote to our politics and many workplaces. Our boys were worthy winners during their amazing playoff run, but they were also graceful in defeat. We all have much to learn from them.

This is the first of many "last time" events with Nicholas before he graduates and heads off to college next year. That sensation sunk in when I headed across the field post-game to congratulate him and the team on an amazing run that had the entire behind them. I gave him a big hug and thought about how much joy watching him play soccer since age 5 had given me. I feel lucky to be his dad and to have a son that is so passionate about such a beautiful game. I feel lucky that we both discovered soccer at the same time and look forward to many more soccer memories together down the road.

GO BLUE!

Last night, a big blue wave washed over Michigan in the 2022 election. Furthermore, the predicted red wave nationwide was more like a trickle as Democrats held their ground in nearly every corner of the nation.

There are a lot of possible explanations for why Democrats outperformed and bucked the trend of the party controlling the White House getting absolutely shellacked in the midterms. First, abortion was foundational for many voters who believed Republicans when they said that the government should decide what a woman should do with her body. Second, MAGA Republicans were kryptonite to all Democratic voters and a sizable number of Independents. Third, people believed democracy was at risk and worth fighting for. This was particularly true for Generation Z, who broke for Democrats by 28% points! The future looks very bright!

Here in Michigan, Democrats won every statewide office - Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General - and they flipped the state legislature and senate. Moreover, Proposition 2 that codified voting rights and Proposition 3 that established reproductive rights were also enshrined in the state constitution. The Democrats also now continue to hold a majority of seats in the state Supreme Court. 

What a turn of events from 2016 when I flew to Michigan on the night of the election. That night Trump won Michigan and was announced the winner of the election the next morning.

We may yet hold the U.S. Senate, and the House looks like it may end up with a slim Republican majority. The work begins now to win the Georgia runoff and to mobilize our forces and hone our message from 2022. Let's Go Blue!